AP Photo/Richard DrewHot diggity dog!
Reigning champion Joey Chestnut won the 101st Nathan's Annual Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York, Tuesday, marking his 10th victory in the event.
Chestnut weighed in at 221.5 lbs.
During the Fourth of July challenge, which aired on ESPN2, he ate a record 72 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Carmen Cincotti finished in second with 62, followed by Matt Stonie with 48. Chestnut has won every showcase since 2007—except in July 2015, when Stonie ate more.
The California resident revealed he "slowed down quite a bit" towards the end of Tuesday's race. "I was sweating like a mad dog," admitted Chestnut, a.k.a. Jaws. "I know I can do better."
"Next year, if I come back, you can bet I'll be pushing harder," Chestnut, 33, promised ESPN2 shortly after the competition ended. "I treat competitive eating like a sport; it's not like going to a buffet. I'm not a buffet buster. I train. I fast. I tape my practices and I try to figure out how to improve. I make my body work for me, and I've been really lucky for how it's performed."
The content winner took home $10,000—and bragging rights, of course. (Chestnut last beat Stonie in overtime in June during San Diego's World Ice-Cream Sandwich Eating Championship.)
In the women's division, Miki Sudo won her fourth-consecutive title by wolfing down 41 hot dogs in 10 minutes, beating both Michelle Lesco (32.5) and Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas (30).
Before 2011, women competed alongside men.